After the Biden administration asked it to do so, on Feb. 16 the Supreme Court canceled highly anticipated upcoming arguments over the fate of the pandemic-era Title 42 policy that allows the rapid expulsion of would-be migrants at the border. Oral arguments in the case, Arizona v. Mayorkas, court file 22-592, had been scheduled for March 1. The new one-sentence entry on the court’s docket says the case is “removed from … the argument calendar,” without explanation or any indication of how the justices voted on the matter. President Joe Biden’s Office of Management and Budget said on Jan. 30 that it would extend … Continue reading Supreme Court cancels highly anticipated hearing over Title 42 immigration, border security case

A Washington state couple will soon ask the Supreme Court to disallow what they consider to be an unconstitutional wealth tax that was levied on capital gains they never received. In 2017, Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The new law, a reform of the federal tax code, also included a provision known as the Mandatory Repatriation Tax or the Section 965 Transition Tax. This provision taxes U.S. citizens on certain accumulated foreign earnings of foreign corporations going back 30 years, even if the earnings have not been distributed. This means taxing people on income they never received and never … Continue reading Couple appeals wealth tax to SCOTUS that 9th Circuit upheld

The Supreme Court will soon consider whether a city’s sponsorship of a prayer vigil that offended atheists who witnessed it violates the First Amendment. The case comes as the high court has become increasingly protective in recent years of constitutionally based religious freedoms. The justices are scheduled to consider the petition in City of Ocala, Florida v. Rojas, court file 22-278, on Feb. 17. The case goes back to 2014 when Ocala held a public vigil after drive-by shootings in which young children were injured. Community leaders suggested a prayer vigil be conducted to promote public healing, and the local chief of … Continue reading Supreme Court considering whether offended atheists may sue Florida city over prayers

A Christian school in Colorado told the Supreme Court it can’t be sued for firing a woke teacher who accused the school, parents, and students of racism because it is a religious institution that is beyond the reach of the First Amendment. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution begins, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” The case itself involves the so-called ministerial exception that the Supreme Court recognized in Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. Employment Opportunity Division (2012). The exception prevents employees who carry out religious functions from suing church bodies. The Supreme … Continue reading Christian school tells Supreme Court it can’t be sued by former teacher who accused it of racism

The Supreme Court should disallow President Joe Biden’s sweeping plan to partially forgive student loans, former House Speaker John Boehner and former Reps. Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-Calif.) and John Kline (R-Minn.) told the court. Biden introduced the plan in August 2022 in a move that critics decried as a constitutionally dubious attempt to shore up Democrats’ fortunes ahead of the November 2022 congressional elections. While the Congressional Budget Office said the plan could cost about $400 billion, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania estimates the price tag could exceed $1 trillion. About 26 million people reportedly applied under the program … Continue reading Former Speaker Boehner urges Supreme Court to block Biden’s student loan cancellation plan

Later this month, the Supreme Court will consider a case arising out of a botched sex-trafficking investigation about whether state and local police officers enjoy immunity from lawsuits when they are federally cross-deputized as members of joint state-federal task forces. Three young women, including Ifrah Yassin, are suing the Saint Paul, Minnesota, Police Department, claiming their Fourth Amendment rights were violated. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit ruled against them last July. The petition in Yassin v. Weyker, court file 22-533, is scheduled to be considered by the justices on Feb. 17. The case goes back to 2010 … Continue reading SCOTUS to consider immunity of police on joint state-federal task forces in bungled sex-trafficking prosecution

I just stumbled upon an old American Spectator column of mine that I thought had been lost in the sands of time. Someone at San Diego State University posted it in an article titled “Drinking the Kool-Aid: A (Partial) 2009 Directory.” It’s not bad, so I’ve reposted it below: Bill Ayers Should Avoid “Drinking the Kool-Aid” by Matthew Vadum, American Spectator, 19 May 2009 Retired terrorist Bill Ayers, a kind of folk hero among today’s left, had a run-in with Washington Times editorial staffer Kerry Picket. Picket’s encounter with the would-be mass murderer who plotted to bomb a crowded dance hall at Fort Dix, … Continue reading Bill Ayers should avoid “drinking the Kool-aid”

Public opinion of the Supreme Court remains underwater but has improved by several percentage points since it dropped precipitously in June 2022 when the court overturned Roe v. Wade, according to a new poll. Among U.S. adults responding to the latest Marquette Law School survey, 47 percent currently approve of the court, while 53 percent do not. The school interviewed 1,000 adults nationwide from Jan. 9 to Jan. 20, 2023. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points. Support for the court was highest among Republicans (67 percent approval versus 33 percent disapproval) and lowest among Democrats … Continue reading Poll says public approval of Supreme Court slowly rising after abortion ruling